About the Book:
Jenna Fischer's Hollywood journey began at the age of 22
when she moved to Los Angeles from her hometown of St. Louis. With a
theatre degree in hand, she was determined, she was confident, she
was ready to work hard. So, what could go wrong?
Uh, basically everything. The
path to being a professional actor was so much more vast and
competitive than she'd imagined. It would be eight long years of
small acting gigs and endless day jobs before she landed her iconic
role as Pam Beesly on The Office,
nearly a decade of frustration, struggle, rejection and doubt.
If only she'd had a handbook for the
aspiring actor. Or, better yet, someone to show her the way – an
established actor who could educate her about the business, manage
her expectations, and reassure her in those moments of despair. Jenna
Fischer wants to be that person for you.
With amusing candor and wit, she
spells out the nuts and bolts of getting established in the
profession, based on her own memorable and hilarious experiences. In
The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide, she tells you how
to get the right headshot, what to look for in representation, how to
conduct yourself on-set, and the importance of joining forces with
other like-minded artists and creating your own work – invaluable
advice personally acquired from her many years of struggle. Jenna
Fischer provides helpful hints on how to be gutsy and take risks,
the tricks to good auditioning and callbacks, and how not to fall for
certain scams. (Auditions in a guy's apartment are probably not legit
– or at least not for the kind of part you're looking for!)
Jenna Fischer's
inspiring, helpful guidance will make you feel like you have a
trusted friend who's made the journey, and has now returned to walk
beside you, pointing out the pitfalls as you blaze your own path
toward the life of a professional actor.
What people say:
"Lots
of books talk about being an actor or about finding work as an actor
or else chronicle someone's journey as an actor. But honestly, none
of those books have felt as honest, as realistic, and yet as
encouraging and optimistic as The Actor's Life
by Jenna Fischer...
a book every actor should read. And every non-actor. Just read it."
— San Francisco Book Review
"I
loved reading Jenna's honest and sincere appraisal of the actualities
of breaking into, finding one's way, and then thriving in this
business. I hope it is given out as a guidebook of sorts to any young
actor when they land at LAX." — Jon
Hamm
"In
The Actor's Life,
Jenna Fischer
lays out exactly what aspiring actors can expect from this crazy,
unpredictable industry both practically and emotionally. Nothing is
sugar-coated, nor is it cynical. It's just reality, plain and simple.
At every level of success, we are all just artists trying to figure
it out day by day. That's the truth."
— Christina
Applegate
"If
I had Jenna's book when I was a struggling actor it would have eased
the pain and encouraged my journey. This is an insightful, funny,
sweet story from one actor to another; we all need a leg up, a hand
to hold, and the encouragement to keep going when we truly find our
passion. Jenna manages to do that and more in this very helpful guide
for an actor finding their way into the business."
— Julianna
Margulies
"Jenna Fischer's
story is an excellent resource for anyone who is involved in the life
of an actor. Much of this information was new to me; I have always
respected the actor's journey, but now I am in awe of it. It's also
entertaining from beginning to end." — Allison Jones,
Casting Director
"How lucky for those who dream
that Jenna Fischer has written this book and
candidly explained the hard work, persistence, and delusion required
to become a working actor. This book is generous, practical, and in
the right hands will be a talisman for the deserving few who refuse
to give up." — Matthew Weiner, creator of Mad
Men
About the Author:
Jenna Fischer is an American
actress best known for playing the character of receptionist Pam
Beesley for nine seasons on the acclaimed television show The
Office, for which she received an Emmy nomination for Best
Supporting Actress and two SAG Awards for Outstanding Performance by
an Ensemble Comedy.